Valve-regulating mechanism.



W. B. HAMMOND. VALVE REGULATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION IILED 0GT.18, 1906.

I 1 L ,B W L .l J a @371666536. lmveimmv ward and thus to open said valve.

supply therefore open so long as the passage remains Open and the supply pressure is maintained;

When the auxiliary valve E is opened the pressure in the chamber D is thereby reduced and a flow of water takes places past and around the valve D, which flow, in connection with the reduction of pressure in the chamber D serves to carry the valve D up- The opening of the valve E and consequently the opening of the valve D is effected through the movement of a fluid column which balances the pressure in the system. This fluid column is contained in a tube F the lower end of which communicates with a larger tube G. The tube G opens into a casing or chamber II which is connected with the system through a pipe I so that the fluid in the tube or chamber G is subjected to the system pressure. This pressure will be balanced by the column of fluid in the tube F which will extend the fluid in the tube G a distance depending on the pressure in the system. By varying the amount of fluid in the tubes the fluid may be made to stand at any desired levels in the tubes with a given pressure in the system.

The devices intermediate the fluid column 7 and the valve E consist of a bar J and a lever K to which said bar is connected. T he lever is provided with an arm K arranged to engage a flange E on the. stem of the valve E. So long as the fluid stands at the level L indicated or below said level. the weight of the bar acts through the lever K to hold the valve E to its seat and the communication between the system and the remains closed. \Vhen the pressure in the system falls owing to the opening of a sprinkler head the fluid in the tube G will rise until it'floats the bar J, thus lifting the lever K and permitting the opening of the auxiliary valve l and consequently the opening of the supply valve D. As the valve E opens the flange ll' passes beyond the arm K so that the lever has no effect on the valve when the fluid in chamber G is depressed by the pressure of the water admitted to the system. The com munication between the supply and system remains open therefore after it has been once opened by the reduction of the system pressure.

When the apparatus is to be reset the valve E is returned to its seat by a lever M, one end of which is arranged to engage the flange E The front of the flange and back of the arm K are so shaped that. the flange may be forced past the arm in closing the valve. The water may be drawn from the chamber in resetting the apparatus through a cock N.

While in the apparatus shown the lifting of the float bar by the rise of the fluidopercolumn above the level of ates the auxiliary valve it will be understood that the connections may be so arranged that the valve is held to its seat by the upward pressure of the fluid column on the float and is caused to openwhen the fluid column falls and allows the float bar to descend. Such arrangement enables the use of a partial vacuum in the system, the fluid in chamber G standing at a higher level than the fluid in tube F until a sprinkler head opens when the pressure in the system ri es, thus depressing the fluid in chamber G. 1

In order to avoid the necessity of empl0 ving a fluid column of inconvenient height it is preferred to employ for the controlling a fluid of greatcr'speciflc gravity than the fluid under pressure in the system. Thus when the fluid in the system is water, it is preferred to employ mercury as the fluid for the controlling column, while if the fluid in the system be air, then water may be conveniently employed for the controlling column.

It is desirable in connection with a drypipe sprinkler system to employ an alarm \vhichwill be sounded when the valve opens or when the pressure in the system 15 re-' duced, and in Fig. 2 there is shown. a simple and etlicient arrangement for sounding such alarm. The upper end of the tube F is provided with acup or support F which is preferably detachably secured to said tube. Said cup is provided on its interior with brackets. f f to which are secured the termin'als f f of an electric circuit, said terminals being preferably angularly arranged with relation to each other as shown. The wires f 2 connect with theterminals f f, and it will be understood that said terminals constitute part of an electric circuit including a battery and a bell or other alarm device. A bar or float F adapted to float in the fluid contained in the tube F, is provided at its upper end with a contact device f preferably in the form of an inverted cone as shown.

So long as the fluid column stands at its normal height in the tubeF the contact device f will be held above and out of contact with the terminals f f, as shown in Fig. 2. When the pressure in the system is reduced so as to permit the fluid column to rise in the chamber G, the corresponding falling of the fluid column in the tube F will permit the float F to fall contact device f into contact with the terminals f f and thereby close the electric circuit and sound the alarm.

\Vith the cup f made detachable, said cup together with the alarm attachments, including the float F may be readily removed, said float being lifted by the engagement of the angularly arranged terminals with the contact piece f".

and so as to bring the What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination, with a system and a valve for regulating the supply thereto and held closed by the pressure in the supply, of a fluid column balancing the pressure in the system, and devices embodying a float actuated by a variation in said column for causing the permanent opening of said valve.

2. The combination, with a supply valve held to its seat by the pressure in the supply, of an auxiliary valve for controlling the opening of said supply valve, a fluid column balancing the pre sure in the system, and devices intermediate the fluid column and auxiliary valve for causin tle permanent opening of the valve.

The con'ibination, with a supply valve, of an auxiliary valve for controlling the opening of said supply valve, a fluid column balancing the pressure inthe system, and

connections between the fluid column and auxiliary alve adapted to be thrown out of operative relation on the opening of the valve.

4. The combination, with a supply valve, of a fluid chamber connected with the system, a, fluid column balancing the pressure in the fluid chamber, a float in said chamber, and devices in said chamber between the float and valve for permanently opening the valve by the movement of the float.

The comliination, with a supply valve held to its seat by the pressure in the supply, of an auxiliary valve controlling the opening oi the supply valve, a fluid. chamber '5 support, and a float prmided with a contact connected with the system, a fluid column balancing the 'n'essure in the chamheixa float in the chamber, and connections between the float and auxiliary valve adapted to be thrown out of operative relation on the opening of the valve.

(3. The con'ibination, with a Sprinkler system having a pressure therein less than the supply pressure, of a valve for regulating the supply to said system and held closed by the pressure in the supply, a fluid column balancing the pressure in the system, and means controlled by a variation in said column for eltecting a permanent opening of said valve.

7. The combination, with a supply valve, of an auxiliary valve for controlling the opening of said'supply valve, a fluid column balancing the pressure. in the system, a float operated by said fluid column, and connections between said float and said auxiliary valve adapted to be thrown out of operative relation on the opening of the supply valve.

8. The combina ion, with a supply valve, of an auxil ary valve for controlling the opening of said supply valve, a fluid column 5 balancing the pressure in the system, a float operated by said fluid column, connections between said float ands-aid auxiliary valve adapted to be thrown out, o't operative rela tion on the opening of the supply valve, and i'neans for reset ting said auxiliary valve.

0, The combination, with a supply valve, of an auxiliary valve for controlling the opening of said supply valve, a fluid column balancing the pressure in the system, a float operated by said fluid column, connections l'ietwren said float and said auxiliary valve adap ed to be thrown out of operative relation on the opening of the supply valve, and l1and-o1n-rated means for resetting said auxiliary valve.

10. The combinatiol'l, with a tube adapted to contain a fluid column, of a cup or support detachably secured to said tube, terminals of an electric circuit carried by said device 7 adapted to engage said terminals when the support is removed from sa d tube, whereby said float will be removed with said support.

\VILBERFORCE B. HAMMOND.

\Vitn esses "W. H. TI'IURS'ION, J. H. TitUas'roN. 

